2022 Candidate Profile: Kate Doyle Feingold For Fairfax City Council

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Kate Doyle Feingold and her husband David have two daughters who attend elementary and middle school in the City of Fairfax. A licsensed attorney since 2007, she is on the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election.

Doyle Feingold is running against incumbents D.T. "Tom" Ross, Jon R. Stehle Jr., Joseph D. Harmon, and So. P. Lim, as well as fellow challengers Anahita N. "Ana" Renner, Billy M. Bates, Craig S. Salewski, and Jeffrey C. Greenfield for one of the six seats on the council.

Patch asked each of the candidates in the city council race to fill out the following questionnaire.

Name

Kate Doyle Feingold

Position sought

City Council for the City of Fairfax

Campaign Website

Kate for Fairfax City

Names, ages and any pertinent detail you wish to share.

I am married to David and have two daughters who attend elementary and middle school in the City.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

No one in my family works in politics, but I'm a 13th generation veteran and a lot of my family members currently serve in the military or are civilian federal government employees.

Education

I attended NYU for undergrad (political science & psych double major), George Washington University for law school and George Mason for my PhD.

Occupation - Please include years of experience

I'm an attorney with a PhD in Criminology, Law & Society; I've been a licensed attorney in Virginia since 2007.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for City Council because I want to preserve what makes our City unique - our natural resources, our local businesses and historic downtown, and our safe, small town community.

The single most pressing issue facing the City of Fairfax is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

It is very difficult to pick just one issue. Certainly the preference for development over protecting our natural resources is one of the main reasons I decided to run for office. But for the single most pressing issue, I think I have to say that our process in decision making does not seem to value transparency, efficiency and being responsive to resident concerns.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am a common sense leader with experience across many areas and I am passionate about research, finding new solutions and looking to successes in other small Virginia towns. I value resident opinions & concerns and want to make sure we have a better process where concerns are heard and addressed before decisions are made.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

Some of the current elected leaders have been too willing to give developers exceptions to destroy trees, green spaces and bury streams. Many residents feel that they don't have a voice, that decisions are made early, behind closed doors and by the time there is a hearing (sometimes years later) it is too late for any changes to be made based on comments & concerns from residents. I think we need more critical thinking about long term benefits to the city and benefits for current residents when it comes to decision making about development and other projects. And we need more creative thinking to solve problems like empty commercial spaces and affordable housing.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My campaign platform is focused on preserving and protecting natural resources, supporting our local businesses and historic downtown and creating a more responsive, transparent & efficient government.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I’m an experienced problem solver and critical thinker. In my professional life I’ve written ordinances and policies, studied evidence-based ways to lower crime, worked on issues involving zoning laws, policing best-practices, and worked to predict and resolve future problems with creative solutions. In the City, I’ve volunteered for A Place to Stand and I volunteer regularly for the school PTA. I also serve as a board member for the preschool at Fairfax United Methodist Church.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Give more than you expect to receive, never stop asking questions, and a positive attitude is a force multiplier.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

When I got out of the Marine Corps in 2012, I spent months looking for our family's next home, exploring many areas in Northern Virginia. I fell in love with the City of Fairfax because of the green spaces, trees, walkability, local businesses, historic downtown and small-town feel. My family regularly walks into town to visit the local restaurants and shops and to attend events. We have so many wonderful businesses and opportunities. I want to preserve what makes the City unique - the fact that residents can commute into DC but we still have parks and forests and we know our neighbors and business owners by name; the fact that it's still possible for our teachers, firefighters and police officers to live in our City and that it is a safe place to live. We have to make careful and thoughtful decisions to make sure all of those things continue to be true in the City of Fairfax.

Also see ...

• 2022 Candidate Profile: So P. Lim Running For Fairfax City Council
• 2022 Candidate Profile: Joseph Harmon Running For Fairfax City Council
• Fairfax City Residents Meet One-On-One With Mayor, Council Candidates
• 2022 Candidate Profile: Jon R. Stehle Jr. For Fairfax City Council
• 2022 Candidate Profile: Ana Renner Running For Fairfax City Council
• Fairfax City Residents Meet One-On-One With Mayor, Council Candidates
• 2022 Candidate Profile: Jeff Greenfield Runs For Fairfax City Council
• 2022 Candidate Profile: Billy M. Bates Runs For Fairfax City Council
• 2022 Candidate Profile: Craig Salewski Runs For Fairfax City Council
• 2022 Candidate Profile: Tom Ross Runs For Fairfax City Council